The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-05-19
A Newsboy's Nerve.

Il NeWSD0y NERVE.
The recent trip Of the Examiners
party in balloon recalls
to memory the thrilling adventure
Of a San Francisco newsboy who
took an involuntary excursion in a
balloon from Oakland to Suisun
Plains. Like that of the Examiner
party the ascension was unheralded.
But it Was alike the town talk and
the excitement Of the hour.
Balloon ascensions were of rare
occurrence, -.and the announcement
that q large balloon was to go up
from a garden in Oakland was suf-
ficient to fill three steamer loads of
excursionists from San Francisco.
1t was an exceptionally pleasant
Sunday afternoon in August, and o
Mir. Kelly was to act as the zero
naut. Numerous small balloons
had as usual been provided to test
the current Of air, and to indicate
the probable direction that the bal
loon would take upon being set free.
The balloon itself was a fine large
one, constructed of silk, with the
usual basket attached for carrying
passengers. Either Kelly was in
competent, the volume of gas was
totally in sufficient, or for some
other and to the crowd an unknown
cause the balloon did not ascend
when Kelly seated himself in the
suspended car and gave the signal
TO cat the rope that fastened the
balloon to the earth. Instead of
going Upward it drifted along the
ground for some fifty yards, when
it was again secured and Kelly
jumped to the ground. A lighter
man then took his place, but it
would not rise with him either.
The car was then detached from
the balloon and a piece of broad
scantling attached to it some four
inches in width, resembling a ira
peze-bar. The people ID the mean
time were jeering the professor in
a good natured way, and several
asked him to give them a ride, pre-
Stunning that they would be taken a
few yards only.
Among them was bright lad OF
Of Is though looking much younger
He was 8 newsbny and orange ped
dler, well known in San Francisco
for his quick wit, brilliant stock OF
intensely red hair and predisposi-
ton for mischief. He was 8 thin
wiry little fellow, and known by his
comrades as "Reddy."
Either Of his own notion or at the
careless suggestion ofsome thought
less person, Reddy jumped astral
die the suspended scantling and
handed his basket of oranges to his
partner. Some one sang out Let
her go" and up she went, to the
CONSERVATION of everybody that
knew it was an accident. The boys
legs were suspended in the air anj
his weight depressed the hoop tC
which the bar was attached, throw
ing his back against the ropes OF
the balloon, the ropes being only
one-quarter Of an inch in circum-
ference.
AS the boy arose Prof. Kelly
cried out to pull the valve rope
when he wished to come down
But the valve rope had caught il
the balloon netting and was not tt
he reached. He assembled rapidly
for some forty feet, when a cure n
Of air turned the balIon in a south
easily direction, and clinging to the
ropes, he was carried across an arm
Of the bay to the south of Oakland
He then rose 20 q very great height
Prof. Kelly mounted a fleet
horse and endeavored to follow The
course of the balloon in vain. 1t
was seen through glass to be
drifting over the crest of a noun
tain, but whether the boy still main
tanned his grip on the ropes or moi
was uncertain. The course of the
voyage was now turnedsin north
easterly direction. In half an hour
from the start the balloon was lost
to view and there was no hopes OF
the boys safety. Death stared hin
in the face. If he was not dashed to
earth, he would 90 up until he
reached a great height where the
rarefaction of the air would destroy
him. Another danger awaited him.
He was thinly clad and would soon
become benumbed and frozen, re
lax his hold and fall to the earth.
Reddy said, in relating his ex-
perience, that he "was dizzy at first
and shut his eyes, but thought that
he must brace up, as he was in fo1
it, and do the best be could" Ho
heard people shouting orders below
but could not distinguish their
commands. He was conscious OF
his position by the changing of the
location of objects below him. He
claimed never to have lost his
presence of mind. He pulled, he
thinks, at the valve rope, hut it
broke in his hand and the end
drifted from him. he locked down
and saw a rough country below
and thought he would not care to
land there, for fear of grizzlies and
the additional dread of getting into
some deep canyon that he would be
unable to find his way out of.
1t was getting along toward dark
and a more level country. The
boy tried, but failed to reach the
valve rope again, and almost gave
up when an inspiration seized him.
He thought Of his knife. Stand
ing up on the scantling, his limbs
| already stiftened by the cold and the
contracted position that they had
been in so long, he reached for his
pocket knife, and opening it, put it
in his teeth and climbed up the
swinging quartep-inch rope until he
reached the balloon. 1t would not
do to make large puncture. SO he
cut small hole and crawled back
to his perch. The balloon, relieved
Of its gas, slowly sank to the ground
and when within a few feet the boy
swung of from his.perilous seat and
landed uninjurcd, except for a